There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers entering their Week 7 game. Wilson had yet to play this year, and Justin Fields seemed to be playing well. While Wilson wasn’t perfect, he did seem to quickly establish a connection with George Pickens, and Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich pointed to it as a reason why his team lost Sunday night.
“The combination of [Pickens] and [Wilson], it got the best of us,” Ulbrich said after the game via the team’s YouTube channel. “We need to play it better and also need to provide more schematic answers, and more help in those times.”
Wilson and Pickens were absolutely lethal against the Jets. Pickens recorded five catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, his first of the year. He also drew a massive pass-interference call that helped the Steelers score their first touchdown of the game. It seemed impossible to cover him, even for Sauce Gardner, arguably the best corner in the league.
Ulrbich is talking like the Jets left Pickens wide open throughout the Steelers’ 37-15 win. In reality, they were playing good defense. The issue was that Wilson was uncorking the ball as far down field as he could, and Pickens was somehow always hauling it in. It felt like every catch he made against the Jets was spectacular.
Credit to Wilson for giving Pickens those opportunities. Not every deep ball was placed on the money, but they all gave Pickens a chance. In this game, that’s all he needed. After his first outing on Sunday night ended poorly, Pickens proved that the lights were not too bright for him this week.
Wilson’s deep ball has often been the best part of his game, and it was on full display against the Jets. He was an unknown going into this game, but now, there’s a clearer picture available. With Wilson under center, it looks like the Steelers should feed Pickens early and often. The Jets had no answers, and it’s probably something other teams will struggle with as well. Pickens and Wilson’s abilities complement each other nicely.
